Overseas Telephone Tips

• You can make a schedule for calling your family and friends regularly so that any additional telephone expenses can be reduced. Also, since your family would be awaiting your call on the schedules day, there would be a better chance of catching up with every member in a single call.
• International calling cards are the way to go for overseas students. Using these cards provides you with the benefit of lower call rates and, in some cases, easier connectivity. There are two types of international calling cards.
• one type of international calling card is the prepaid one which you have to buy and then top-up/recharge with currency. You can talk for the number of minutes that you get on each top-up and when the minutes are over, the call gets disconnected. This type of calling card is easily available and disposable.
• Another type of calling card is the international phone call credit card which works like credit cards. Generally, these cards have a PIN number that is linked to your credit card number of the native country. You have to enter this PIN at the time of making a call and the charges are added to the credit card and are payable with the bill later on.
• These days, cellular phones have become very common (almost indispensable) and quite affordable across the world. Though international calls can be a bit expensive but you can send short text messages at relatively lower prices. Many cellular companies in foreign countries provide the facility of 'Pay-As-You-Go' cards which are best for students pursuing short-term programs.
• Renting an international cell phone is also a very good option for students studying abroad. You can get a phone on rent on which you can get any service according to your need.
• If you have internet access then you can also opt for Skype and other such phone software. It provides you with a local phone number with which you can call online and talk with your family members and friends.
• Electronic Mail is possibly the cheapest and simplest method of communication for students living in abroad. This is an effective option for students who are not sure of how often can they talk to their parents or friends.
• In emergencies, you can also use fax machines for instant communication. However, this machine is best used if you have hard-copy documents to send to the other person.
• Keep your conversations short and simple to avoid big money bills. Also, don't talk very loudly on the phone - it's your conversation and you would do well by keeping it private.
• Always keep in mind the time zone differences of your current and native country while making calls. This way you can avoid making calls at odd hours.